Practice as Prescribed in Vachanamrutam

Usage of chandan has been cited by Bhagwan Swaminarayan in Vachanamrutam Gadhada III 23. He vivifies the types of adornments, known as shangar and worship rituals to be offered to the Lord. These maybe offered either mentally, known as mansi puja or physically - pratyaksha puja, in ways conducive to the three seasons prevalent in India, namely summer, monsoon and winter. By offering such worship, He reveals two benefits:
i) the devotee's exuberant love for God excels and,
ii) his Jiva (soul) progresses on the path to God-realization.
It is in His elaboration of the worship rituals during the summer that chandan takes precedence. He says that during the summer months, the devotee should envisage bathing the Lord in pure, cool and fragrant water. Garments of thin cloth should then be offered. After seating the Lord on a majestic seat, the devotee should besmear the Lord with chandan previously ground from good quality sandalwood.
First he should smear a thick layer on the Lord's forehead, then on arms, chest, abdomen, thighs and calfs. On the feet and soles he should smear a layer of kumkum. The devotee should then have darshan (sight) of the Lord. He should then offer garlands and tie armbands and wristlets, and place a crown on the head, all made of fragrant flowers such as mogaro (Jasminum sambac), chameli (Jasminum grandiflorum), rose and champo (Michelia champaca).
Following this puja, the devotee should adorn the Lord with garments on the head and upper and lower body. He should then lovingly embrace the Lord once, twice, and as many times with respect to the love that flows for Him. Therein the devotee is besmeared with chandan sanctified by the Lord. The devotee is thus profoundly exhilarated.
A philosophical meaning often associated with chandan is the sacrificing of one's all, just as chandan gets ground to produce fragrance, in the service of God and mankind.